Rahul Gandhi May Take Congress Baton At January 17 Party Session

NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi as Congress’s PM candidate is an idea whose time may have come.

Just days after PM Manmohan Singh ruled himself out as the leader of a possible Congress-led coalition, chances of Rahul being named as replacement have dramatically brightened, raising the possibility that he may take the baton at the AICC session, set for January 17 in Delhi.

The leadership has hedged its stand on whether Congress will be going into the Lok Sabha elections with a declared PM candidate, but well-placed sources acknowledge that momentum has been inexorably built up for the party to spell out its choice for the top job. “There is a greater recognition among us that times have changed and the party cannot go to elections without a face,” said a source.

A final decision is expected to be taken in a meeting ahead of the January 17 session.

TOI had written about the rising possibility of Rahul’s projection in its editions on December 27 and again on January 4.

Two factors seem to have brought about the change in party’s stand on the leadership issue. While Rahul himself is no longer reluctant to take up the mantle, the party also realizes that despite Arvind Kejriwal’s entry in the arena, the 2014 contest will be framed as a Rahul versus Narendra Modi battle irrespective of whether the Congress names its spearhead. The leadership is wary that getting into the ring without a stated choice may create the perception of lack of confidence.

Rahul as PM pick can help party: Congress

Although the party feels that Rahul, ideally, should have been projected in better political climes, they say there can be little downside to his being put up for prime ministerhsip even now, considering that he is in any case facing criticism for failures. Ambiguity over his position in the hierarchy has not buffered him.

The leadership agrees that results of the assembly elections were a pointer to the uphill task that faces the party this year. However, it believes that the Modi-led BJP can still be denied the big trophy by scoring small tactical victories and stitching alliances.

Party tacticians feel that Rahul’s projection can help the rearguard battle it may have to wage to stop Modi.

The GenNext leaders in Congress who owe loyalty to Rahul argue that the party should announce the decision on January 17.

A Union minister argued that little would be lost by naming Rahul as PM candidate because he anyway has to lead the party in the future, whatever the result in 2014. A repeat of diarchy or dual power centres like the present scheme where Sonia Gandhi heads the party while a Prime Minister leads the government is not considered feasible. Many believe Gandhi helming the “secular alliance” would change the mood in the coming months.

Even in case of a debacle, leaders believe Rahul would have a perfect grounding as an opposition leader which would project him nationally as the ‘shadow PM’. His leadership in difficult times would be the glue to keep the party together given that Sonia Gandhi’s health may hamper her active involvement.

Plans for moving “private member resolutions”, as reported by TOI earlier, at the AICC session on January 17 are no secret now. Backing away from such overwhelming demand may not make for good optics, likely to be seized upon by the opposition to say that Congress has conceded the battle in advance.